In an effort to overcome deficiencies in teaching molecular biology at school, a workshop out-of-school laboratory including only authentic experiments was developed. Evaluation of 337 A-level 12th graders followed quasi-experimental design, with one hands-on group, two non-experimental control groups (at school/in the laboratory), and group no intervention. Their cognitive achievement monitored by pre-, post-, retention tests analyzed for inter-group differences. Test items were...

Our research objective focused on monitoring students' mental effort and cognitive achievement to unveil potential effects of an instructional change in out‐of‐school laboratory offering gene technology modules. Altogether, 231 students (12th graders) attended our day‐long hands‐on module. Within a quasi‐experimental design, treatment group followed the newly developed two‐step approach derived from load theory while control applied experimentation conventional one‐step mode. The difference...

Our article proposes a set of six criteria for analysing science-technology-society-environment (STSE) issues in regular textbooks as to how they are expected contribute students’ scientific literacy. We chose genetics and gene technology fields prolific STSE issues. derived our (including 26 sub-criteria) from literature review the debate science education on increase inspected regarding relationships between science, technology, society, environment, considered presence decontextualized...

Given the rapid development of modern biotechnology, attention to socioscientific issues in educational contexts is crucially important support students becoming responsible citizens. The authors' research focused on impact discussing during biology lessons under 3 different treatments (teacher guided, student centered, text only), comparing these with regard cognitive achievement, load, and instructional efficiency. were part an intervention Bavarian 10th-grade (N = 583) out-of-school...

Our study monitored students’ alternative conceptions about some fundamental terms and processes of gene technology. Novice secondary school 10th graders (144 in total) described their an open questionnaire. Using inductive category development, we iteratively categorized responses. We found 13 categories describing conceptions. Common were allocated to more than one different term or process. Specific only the context explaining collected conceptions, then developed a questionnaire, which...

Abstract Our research objectives focused on monitoring (i) students' activities during experimental teaching phases in an out‐of‐school gene technology laboratory, and (ii) potential relationships with variables such as work group size cognitive achievement. Altogether, we videotaped 20 groups of A‐level 12th graders (n = 67) by continuous recording their laboratory‐work phases. Subsequent analysis revealed nine categories characterizing the most relevant activities. Intra‐observer...

Nowadays, outreach labs are important informal learning environments in science education. After summarizing research to goals focus on, we describe our evidence-based gene technology lab as a model of research-driven program. Evaluation-based optimizations hands-on teaching based on cognitive load theory (additional group discussions) and conceptual change (consideration students' alternative conceptions) achieved higher instructional efficiencies. We argue both modifications generalizable...

To meet the requirements of students' cooperative learning, our quasi-experimental study addresses how preservice teachers (PSTs), as a component their procedural pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), might develop more adequate tutor–student interactions during experimentation. Applying assignment-assistance tutoring model, we combined biology PSTs' education with high school outreach program, Genetic Fingerprinting. We developed role-play-based tutor training in 2-step (role play and group...

Abstract The integration of scientific modeling into science teaching is key to the development students’ understanding complex phenomena, such as genetics. With this in mind, we conducted an introductory hands-on module during outreach gene technology laboratory on structure DNA. Our examined influence two model evaluation variants cognitive achievement: Evaluation 1, based hand-drawn sketches DNA models and open questions, 2, own evaluations their comparison a commercially available model....

Florbela M. Caladoa* http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7751-3811, Franz-Josef Scharfenberga & Franz X. Bogneraa Centre of Math Science Education, Didactics Biology, University Bayreuth, Germany

The relevance of English language competencies in authentic, discipline-specific contexts at school is increasingly acknowledged outside English-speaking countries. Since any understanding complex scientific problems requires the combination literacy with other competencies, such as modelling, appropriate application Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) great importance. present study focuses on an established, hands-on outreach genetic education module DNA structure, which it...

To address the possible limitations that financial restrictions may have on students’ independent experimentation at school, we developed and implemented an inexpensive approach for basic microbiology education. We describe four nutrient agars consisting only of everyday substances available from supermarket or online to replace standard specific agars. Additionally, selected Bacillus subtilis natto as example a pure-culture species. Our tip first reports supermarket-substance agar variants;...

Our paper shows several clusters of circular fossil egg capsules from the Franconian Amaltheenton Facies (Lower Jurassic, Upper Pliensbachian), mostly found in clay pit south Buttenheim. The are scatteredly and irregularly arranged on various substrates like calcareous nodules, mollusk shells, or sunken driftwoods. Marine gastropods have been presumed as their producers spawning eggs autochthonous. Only one specimen exhibits a regular honeycomb-like pattern small pyritized deposited...